A Few Minutes with Margy
Interview with Andriana Mendez with Custom Moving Solutions and Sensational Seniors

Margy:
Morning, Andriana.

Andriana:
Hi, Margy. Good morning.

Margy:
Nice to see you, too. Welcome to A Few Minutes with Margy.
This is Live the Tri-Valley Life, and I'm Margy Lyman with Dudum Real Estate Group.
I'm here today with Andriana Mendez, who is the proud owner—with her husband, Art Lahdie, who's a great guy—of Custom Moving Solutions and Sensational Seniors.

Margy:
So, you’re a Danville gal.

Andriana:
I am. I'm a true blue Danville girl. Grew up here. My mom still lives in the same house that I grew up in, so I’ve spent a lot of time here.

Margy:
Yeah. And so now you have this wonderful new business that you’ve been doing since… 17? You said 18?

Andriana:
Yeah, since 2017. So, we're in year eight now.
My husband and I run a family business—we’re Custom Moving Solutions.
We really help relieve the stress of moving for folks, and that can mean a variety of things to people.

We really implement a true move management service, which I like to say is like a party planner or an event planner—but for moving.
That could include everything from sorting, packing, moving, even unpacking, plus donations and hauling as well.

We specialize in helping folks downsize, manage senior moves, and go through decades’ worth of belongings they have in their home—or maybe things left by parents who have passed away. So, it’s a full spectrum of services.

Margy:
And it's also my understanding that you’ll do things either à la carte or as a full package, where someone can just say, “Yeah, do this, I’ve got to take care of my family,” and leave it to you.

Andriana:
Exactly. That’s kind of where the name of our company came from.
We come in and do a guided consultation to figure out the best way to support you.
We provide resources and advice—whether you want to be hands-on or hands-off, we’ll plan it and make sure everything stays on time and gets done on time.

Margy:
And you do quite a few moves every year, don’t you?

Andriana:
Yeah, we do over 400 jobs a year. So, we're really busy.
We've got eight employees. I’ve got an assistant now helping with events through Sensational Seniors. So, it’s definitely a time of growth.

Margy:
That’s very exciting. Tell me a little bit about how you got started in this business.

Andriana:
Yeah. So, my husband and I came from two different worlds.
We decided, you know what—we’re entrepreneurs. We love business, we love community.

He came from Trader Joe's—he was a store manager for 20 years. So, service and being in front of people all the time was his world.
My background is marketing, branding, graphic design.

When we first got into this, we actually purchased a local business in San Ramon—Windmill Farms.

Margy:
Oh, I love that place.

Andriana:
I think everybody does! We still get our pumpkins and Christmas trees there, local honey—all of that.

Margy:
Oh yeah, that reminds me.

Andriana:
It was a great business—and it still is. It’s been family-owned for many years.
But at some point, Art and I decided it wasn’t the right fit for our family and our lifestyle.

So we took a step back and asked, “What do we want to do next? How can we use what we’re good at and passionate about?”
And that’s really where Custom Moving Solutions was born.

Margy:
And when did you start introducing Sensational Seniors?

Andriana:
I brought in Sensational Seniors right after COVID. That’s when I started doing a lot of my in-person events.
So, we’re in year five now.

I really just wanted a space for older adults to come out, hear from professionals in a non-salesy way, and do something social.
Those events came together through a variety of workshops that I do.

That’s really just our community service and give-back—part of our business model of being ingrained in the community and giving before doing business.

We also bring in our professional partners—the folks we work with regularly. They’re the ones presenting, bringing valuable information to the community in a resourceful, non-salesy way.
It gives people tools to enrich their lives—whether they’re aging in place or making a home transition.

Margy:
Wow. You have an event coming up next week in August. That’s more of a workshop, right?

Andriana:
Yeah. Most of my events are workshops. I do about two to four a month.

Next week is going to be about Prop 19—educating folks about the law and how you can transfer your property tax base if you move or downsize.
It can save a lot of money on taxes and help you financially prepare for your future, especially for older adults.

Margy:
Got it. And then you’ve got a bigger event coming up in September. That sounds really exciting.

Andriana:
Yeah, that’s more of a resource fair. I do about two or three of those a year.
It’s like a vendor fair. I’ve got 60 vendors coming—all senior service professionals, experts in their fields.

It’s an opportunity for adults—not just seniors, but anyone—to see what resources are right in their backyard.
They can benefit from free consultations, get guidance, and advice.

So I bring everyone together in one room. It’s a free event.
I’ll be advertising it locally, but folks can just come. It’s September 24th from 9 to 12 at St. Philip in Dublin.

Margy:
Oh, right on. Great location. And are most of the vendors local?

Andriana:
Mhm. Everybody’s local—sometimes the same city, always at least within the county.
That’s what I focus on: hyper-local resources. People who work here, know this market, know this area, and know other local professionals.

It’s been a great way to connect with both the public community and my professional community as well.

Margy:
This really seems to have enriched your life and put your stamp on the Danville–Tri-Valley neighborhoods. How has this benefited you personally?

Andriana:
It’s really been twofold.

On the moving side, it’s incredible. Art and I will meet people who feel extremely overwhelmed, stuck, with no idea how to make the transition—how to get the house prepared and actually move.
To come in, guide them, set up a plan, show them ways to save money, keep them on timeline—it’s really relieving. Taking that stress off their plate is amazing.

On the Sensational Seniors side, I hear feedback all the time—folks are so grateful for the connection, for knowing who they can ask for resources.
It’s been amazing to be that advocate, that first step.

It’s like—you don’t want to do the things you don’t like to do. But if you know there’s an infrastructure out there to guide you, with people who know and like each other, you can really make progress.

Margy:
That’s fantastic. Can you tell me a little bit about your typical clients? I guess it’s anyone who needs to move—from kids to people like me?

Andriana:
I would say primarily folks who are pressed for time, overwhelmed, or limited—whether physically or in resources.
They usually come to us needing help getting from point A to point B.

A lot of them tend to be 55 and older, making bigger transitions—retiring, moving into their dream home, or making a senior move.

Margy:
Yeah, we call them the D’s—diapers, divorce, downsizing, death.
Someone passes away and you have to sell their house, and it’s just too emotional to deal with.

This is incredible information. Can you tell us how we can find you and get in touch with you?

Andriana:
Yeah! If you’re looking for a move consultation or just want to talk to someone for guidance, give us a call at 925-895-4411.
Or visit our website: custom-movers.com.

And for Sensational Seniors, just visit sensationalseniors.net.
You’ll see all the upcoming events there and a little bit more about what I’ve got going on.

Margy:
Great. I’ll have all that information included in this interview.
Thank you so much. It was wonderful to see you.

Andriana:
Thank you so much.